True damage is arguably the most terrifying damage type in League of Legends. Unlike Physical or Magic damage, which can be mitigated by armor or magic resistance, true damage completely bypasses these defenses, dealing its full, unadulterated value to a target’s health bar. This makes it notoriously difficult to counter directly.
However, while you cannot reduce or negate the damage itself, a combination of strategic itemization and refined playstyle can significantly lessen its lethal impact and boost your survivability.
The Power of Health and Shields
Since true damage ignores resistances, the most effective defensive layer you can build is a bigger health pool.
- Stacking Health: Increasing your maximum Health (HP) means that a flat amount of true damage constitutes a smaller percentage of your total life. This makes you harder to kill, particularly against champions that rely on a large burst of flat true damage.
- Shield Items: True damage still needs to chew through any temporary shield applied to your character. Items that provide substantial shields are critical for absorbing true damage bursts and preventing death. Key examples include:
- Sterak’s Gage
- Gargoyle Stoneplate
- Immortal Shieldbow (for carries)
- Eclipse
- Archangel’s Staff (for mages)
Note: Against champions who deal true damage based on a percentage of your maximum HP (such as Vayne or Fiora), stacking pure health becomes a less effective strategy, making shields and sustained healing even more crucial.
Sustain and Healing for Recovery
Another effective mitigation strategy is simply outlasting the enemy’s damage output through recovery. Champions with strong built-in or itemized healing and sustain can recoup some of the HP lost to true damage, essentially buying more time in a fight.
- Lifesteal and Omnivamp: Bruisers and carries can maintain their health through longer engagements by incorporating life-stealing items.
- Support Healing: Dedicated healing supports like Soraka, Nami, or Yuumi can continuously restore a teammate’s health, nullifying the otherwise unmitigated true damage over time.
Mastering Strategic Counterplay
If itemization falls short, smart playstyle adjustments are your best defense:
- Avoid the Ability: The simplest and best counter is to dodge the ability that applies the true damage. For instance, successfully sidestepping a Camille’s ultimate, or a Cho’Gath’s Rupture, eliminates the threat entirely.
- Crowd Control and Disengage: True damage can only be dealt when the champion is able to cast their spells or attack. Utilizing Crowd Control (CC)—such as stuns, slows, or suppressions—to lock down a true damage threat during their window of power will minimize their impact. Alternatively, using abilities to disengage and get out of their effective range can negate the damage.
- Second Chance Items: Defensive utility items like Zhonya’s Hourglass (for invulnerability) and Guardian Angel (for resurrection) can provide the second chances necessary to survive a concentrated true damage assault and turn the tide of a fight.
In the face of true damage, while you can’t build physical or magical armor, you can prepare with thick health bars, reactive shield barriers, and impeccable positioning to prove that even the “uncounterable” can be weathered.
Written by:
Christian